Soul's Road
by RadicalSatire
Summary: When Maddison Madock finds a letter addressed to Gemma Teller amongst her mother's possessions, she decides to head to Charming. Never in a million years would she have thought that a task as simple as delivering a letter would end up changing her life forever. Eventual Tig/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note**: So this is my first ever Sons of Anarchy fanfiction. I got into the show a few months back and I have been itching to write a story ever since. This is what happens while I'm watching an SOA marathon on the computer at 4 AM. I've got a lot of ideas for this story, so this is just the beginning. I hope you guys enjoy it.

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"_When were you going to tell me that you got fired? I set you up at that job and this is how you repay me? What happened to that little girl I raised? Where did she go!" _

Maddison shut her tired hazel eyes, as if it would somehow turn off the argument which was replaying itself in her mind. It was funny, that argument had taken place 5 years ago. The last time she'd ever spoken to her mother. Her last words to the woman had been a bitter 'fuck you' as her beloved sketchbooks were thrown from the fourth story balcony and onto the cement below. Pages torn, scattered, ruined almost instantly by the pouring rain. Her heart and her soul lay at her feet. That was the night she left home. She had been eighteen then; she wasn't a bad kid, but she fit the rebellious teen mold just enough to cause a serious rift between herself and her mother.

Karen Madock had raised Maddison with an iron fist. A single mother in a small Bible belt town, she had the world against her. That was the excuse that people had given her when Madds and Karen fought. They would say that she needed to give her more respect—that she needed to be more loving. The thing was that she did respect her mother – at least she tried. But the older she got, the harder that got. Every minute of Maddison's life was on a schedule. Dance, music, soccer, band, she'd been thrown into every extracurricular activity known to man. Karen worked as the mayor's personal assistant and it paid well. They lived comfortably enough, but money couldn't buy everything. Like happiness.

Karen was not an easy person to get along with. She was much like Maddison's grandmother, Rose. Stubborn, controlling, they were tough women to love. Maddison and Karen began clashing early on. It started with clothing, and then boys. Eventually it was her grades, then job applications, and then her dreams for the future. It didn't go past that. Her mother wanted a doctor or a lawyer, someone to be proud of. Maddison was smart and she'd gotten good grades.

If she'd been passionate about a professional life like her mother had dreamt up for her, she could have gotten there easily enough. However, she didn't want a 9-5 job. She didn't want to have to wear a suit or save lives. She wanted to be an artist.

Since the time she first picked up a crayon to the day she graduated, she had always been passionate about the arts. She loved theatre and dance. Music was amazing, but her skills laid elsewhere. She couldn't play the guitar or hold a note (not very well at least) but she could draw. She could paint. Give her a piece of charcoal and you got something amazing in return. Karen didn't like that. What type of life could an artist have? Drawing for a living?

It all came to a head one rainy night when news of Maddison's unemployment made it home. Her mother had gotten her a part-time job at the council office as a secretary. She had shown up a few times, but sitting behind a desk and answering the phones all day didn't exactly keep her entertained. It didn't even pay well. She'd spend her time drawing or reading. Off in another world entirely. That job had lasted three weeks.

**xxx**

Five years ago and it still felt like yesterday. Maddison had been kicked out that night, and now she was on her own. What little money she had eventually took her to another small town. She couldn't afford to go any further and she didn't have any other family. She was sure that her grandmother wouldn't help, and if she wouldn't then there was no way her grandfather would. Her father was probably dead in a ditch—she had never met him. She had an aunt out there somewhere, but her mother had seen to it that she didn't play a part in Maddison's life. The other Madock daughter had walked a radically different path.

She ended up doing odd jobs in town. She worked as a bartender, though she wasn't technically legal. The owner said as long as she didn't drink the merchandise or make a scene, then the cops wouldn't look into it. During the day she spent a lot of time at the park with her easel. Her pay went towards a crappy little apartment and new art supplies.

One day, she was drawing when a man approached her. He was older—perhaps well into his late forties—with black jeans and cowboy boots. He was heavily tattooed, and had a buzz cut and goatee. He was a big guy with a curt voice, and the first time she heard it, she nearly jumped clean out of her skin. He was intimidating as hell. She had seen him around town, but she didn't know his name.

As it turned out, it was Richard. He owned the tattoo parlor in town; the best in the county, apparently. He said that he'd seen her work around the little diner that fed the town, and when he asked about it, the server gushed about her. Maddison ate there frequently, and the cooks and waitresses probably knew her better than anyone else in the state did. He found out that she spent her days on a park bench with a book or easel, and it turned out he had a proposition for her.

Richard had been impressed with her work, said she had real potential. To this day, Maddison wasn't sure why, but he offered her a place at his shop on the spot. He mentioned that he was looking for an apprentice. Having a helping hand at the parlor would be a plus, and he had a lot to teach – _if_ she was interested.

Without a second thought she accepted. It had been something she'd considered at one point, being a tattoo artist. Truly creating lasting pieces of art? But of course, not something Karen had allowed her to give much thought to.

She spent four years working with Richard. She soon learned that the more time she spent in the shop the more she fell in love with it. Richard, as it turned out, was sort of a big deal. He'd studied art all over the world. He'd been tattooed by monks and tribesmen, which indicated that he was well-respected and adored. Not to mention that they got along well. He let her into his world, but in the strictly platonic sense. He was married, had been for a decade when she'd met him. His wife Koraline was the _secretary_. She was nice, and rather motherly. Maddison never would have admit it, but Richard and his wife had almost become like surrogate parents in her life.

Working at the shop and spending time around Richard meant that she was introduced to a whole new world. His best and most loyal clients were bikers. Not just any wannabes who road flashy little roadsters and neon leather jackets. They were _real bikers_—the 'local' MC.

Richard had come to town because of them. He did every official piece for the members as well as others on the side. The guys were gruff, but nice. Richard had given Maddison a crash course on 'biker 101'. He made it very clear that if they liked her, she would go far. Working with the MC, or even being on their good side, had its benefits. It wasn't just invites to the wildest damn parties she'd ever seen, but it was more. Protection if needed, another (and better paying ) bartending gig if she wanted, and a family.

As time went on she grew closer to Richard and the club. She was learning fast and after a few years, she got her first few clients. Everything had been fine. She had friends, enough money to get by, a job she liked—all the good stuff.

But for a second time, her world would come crashing down.

**xxx**

She and Richard had been at the patch over party. Their MC—which was small by some standards—was joining up with a bigger one after a tempting offer had been put forward. Madds and Richard had been invited to the party. They were 'family' after all and the president wanted to show them off. In case any of their friends were interested in some new ink.

While they were living it up, the clubhouse had been attacked. All she could remember was the sound of music followed by screaming, and it was louder than anything she'd ever heard. The place erupted as bullets peppered the room.

It was complete _chaos_.

Her first instinct was to find Richard, though one of the members who had been talking to her had ordered her to get behind the bar. She couldn't, not without Richard. But her search was soon cut short. Just as the member left her side, she darted away from the bar. Suddenly there was an intense burning sensation in her torso—almost as if someone had rammed a hot poker underneath her skin. The last thing she remembered was being jerked to the side by one of the women working behind the bar.

And as she fell to the floor her world went black.

Richard had been caught in the crossfire, along with 5 others who had been dead when the authorities arrived. Ten others were taken to the hospital with wounds ranging from mild to critical. She'd been in the ICU for two weeks because she had taken two bullets to her chest. One had been through and through, but the other had caused serious damage. According to the surgeon, if the police hadn't gotten there when they did, she would have bled out.

Richard's wife had stayed with her at the hospital, and even helped her with the recovery.

The shooting was blamed on a rival club, and the MC didn't seem to think that it would stop with that. They said that there was a turf war coming. That was all that Maddison had gotten. She didn't ask for more, it wasn't her place. They suggested that she and Richard's widow get the hell out of dodge. They didn't want either of them getting caught in whatever shitstorm was brewing.

As soon as she was healthy, the women left. They went their separate ways but promised to keep in touch. Maddison reluctantly headed home. She was out on her ass again, had enough money for the bus ticket back, and maybe an apartment. She didn't know where else to go.

As it would turn out, she'd walk out of one fire only to step into another.

Her first night back in town and she was in a little 24 hour diner. The second she walked in, she felt the few sets of eyes in the place lock on her. It had been five years since she'd left home, five years and they still recognized her. She shrugged off the whispers and the stares and checked herself into the motel. Tomorrow she'd see her mother. She'd crawl back home like a pathetic animal. She was unsure of where else to go. Maybe things had settled, maybe Karen wouldn't be mad.

Time healed, didn't it?

Maddison never got the chance to find out.

The next day she walked to her old house. There was a different car in the driveway, but aside from that everything looked the same. She didn't think twice about knocking. She expected to see her mother, shocked and possibly mad as hell when the door opened. Instead there was an elderly woman whom Maddison had never seen before in her life. When she asked if her mother was there, the woman gave her a sad look and invited her in for tea.

Her mother had moved out three years ago, into an apartment near city hall. There was no way for Maddison to contact her. Not because no one knew the number, but because her mother had died.

The woman informed her while still being careful and sympathetic about it.

It happened three weeks ago and it made the papers and everything. Karen had had a heart attack while driving, and her car ran the red light and crashed right into a semi. According to the coroner, the heart attack killed her. She was dead before the crash. Apparently, people had been looking for her. Her mother's things had been moved into storage while a lawyer tried to find her because she was the sole beneficiary of Karen Madock's will.

She spent a week there sorting through everything. There wasn't much; books, furniture, clothing, jewellery, and a letter. Maddison donated the books, the shelves, the bed, and the clothes to the local Goodwill. She then sold off the jewellery to a collector in town. It wasn't her style, and she was sure that her mother had only left the stuff to her out of necessity.

Purely a lack of options.

Suddenly she was lost again. She'd come back into town looking for her mother and a pipe dream of a possible reunion, only to find out her mother had passed a few weeks before. After her mothers things were dealt with, Maddion had a different task. The only thing that she had left of her mother was an unsent letter.

She'd opened it one night, she hadn't meant to but she did. The letter was addressed to a 'Gemma'. The name sounded familiar, but it took her a few minutes to place it. It was long—four pages to be exact. She stopped reading after the first paragraph. This letter was meant for her aunt. A woman whom her mother had severed all ties to, a woman whom she hadn't seen since she was in diapers.

It pestered her. The first part of the letter sounded like an apology, and it was dated a few days before her mother had died. The timing wasn't lost on Maddison, but it wasn't just the letter, it was the reminder.

It was a reminder that somewhere out there, she had family. Did Gemma know about her sister? Did Gemma care? It took her a week to figure it out. The letter had been in with the legal documents, and she felt that it had been singled out for a reason, though it could have been easily tossed out by one of her mother's friends. Since they had been given access after they were unable to locate Maddison.

She got an idea. It was crazy—no—stupid. Actually, it was a fair share of both.

She'd find Gemma and tell her about Karen. She'd give her the letter because the more she thought about it, the more it strengthened her belief that her mother had meant to send it. It had been signed and sealed with the address scrawled on it. She'd just never made it.

For the third time in her life, Maddison packed up her belongings and caught the first bus out.

**xxx**

Her eyes flickered open again as the bus settled into the new speed limit.

In the dirty window, she caught a quick glimpse of her reflection. Wavy hair tangled and matted. Her tanned skin was pale with not-so-faint lines under her eyes. She looked like shit. She glanced at the watch then back to the window. She'd been on the damn bus for nearly six hours now, and she was getting less and less comfortable. Like some sort of sign, just as she silently cursed her feet for falling asleep, she saw a sign up ahead. It was big, bold, and illuminated by a lamppost. Suddenly any complaints she had about the ride or her tired body left her mind. They were replaced by the feeling of butterflies in her stomach. Her nerves acted up.

Her hand went to her backpack as she pulled it back onto her lap. She had two other bags, but they were tucked overhead in the luggage. Around her the other passengers began to stir, as if sensing they had almost reached their destination. The PA system crackled, and she knew that the driver was about to announce their final stop. But she already knew.

_'Welcome to Charming'_

The sign had said.

Once the bus rolled up to the depot, she slowly pulled her bags from the overhead storage compartment. Maddison joined the others as she hauled their asses off of the bus. The small crowd quickly dispersed, some disappearing into cars or just taking off into the darkness. In roughly five minutes, she was standing alone on the terminal walkway.

Well, she was here. Sort of. It was way too late to be delivering any letters now, not to mention she was tired and in desperate need of a shower. Luckily, there was a motel located directly across the street from the bus terminal.

Her muscles groaned in protest, but Maddison hefted the two large duffle bags over one shoulder while slinging the bad backpack over the other.

In no time at all she was set up in a little room with cable and a bed. The first order of business was that shower. Maddison must have spent a good hour in there. The feel of the warm water against her skin was just what the doctor ordered. Once she turned the water off and wrapped herself up in one of the towels, she stayed in the bathroom. Brushing her hair and searching for her tooth brush in her bag. As soon as the water turned off, her mind went to the reason why she was in a little hotel in an even smaller town.

She didn't know what she would say to Gemma, she didn't even know if Gemma was in Charming. Would the woman remember her? Or recognize her? Half the time she didn't even recognize herself.

Maddison stood at roughly 5'7; she kept in shape so her body was slim and toned. She'd inherited her mothers noticeable 'hourglass' shape, but that's where the similarities ended. Her hair was a wavy chocolate brown, which had been recently cropped at her shoulders. Her eyes were a deep hazel. She was pretty, but she wasn't a model. She hadn't seen any pictures of herself as a kid, yet she was pretty damn sure there was no resemblance.

On top of her features alone, Maddison had a small collection of tattoos. Around her write ankle there was a rose and thorns. The flower sat on the right side, and the stem ran around connecting the pattern. It had been her first tattoo. Not great, the colors had faded a bit and the line work wasn't stunning but she'd always liked it. She had two Celtic knot wrist cuffs, one adorning each wrist. The knot work was maybe three inches wide and intricate as fuck. They'd been a birthday present from Richard a few years back.

Her final tattoo was the words _Fortitudo et virtus_, which was Latin for strength and courage. That one was done in an old word calligraphic style in black and white which sat between her shoulders. Large enough to be read if one was looking at it from a few steps away, but any further and it looked more like a sort of tribal design. She planned on getting more in the future, at some point.

After some time she managed to pull herself from her thoughts and finished drying off. It was late and she needed sleep more than anything. After all, she had a big day tomorrow.

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**A/N**: If you can take a minute to leave a review I'd really appreciate it. I would love to know what you think! Good or bad, reviews and messages are the best type of motivation for me :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note**: I can't lie. I am genuinely surprised by the feedback I've gotten on this story after only posting one chapter! It's great to see so many SOA fans out there and I'm really glad that so many of you have decided to give this story a chance :) I would thank you all individually, but I'd be doing that for awhile and the next chapter would never get written. I appreciate all of the favorites, reviews, and alerts. They're the best type of motivation a writer can get :) So thank you for taking the time to read this! Since I'm in that sort of mood, I'd also like to thank my wonderful beta helping me with this. Let's face it, when you do most of your writing between the hours of 1 AM - 4 AM it's probably a good idea to have someone look over everything.

Anyways! This chapter is a little longer ( I surprised myself with that. ) It's more or less putting things in motion for future updates. I'm actually quite pleased with how it turned out. This will also mark my first time ( ever ) writing canon characters in the wonderful SOA-verse. Which I was incredibly excited about when I started on this one. I hope you guys enjoy it. As always, if you could R&R I'd really appreciate it - but obviously that's not mandatory. If you feel like sending me a message or leaving any comments and questions via review or PM, I'll try to get back to them asap :)

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Sleep had for the most part, eluded her. Her thoughts were going a mile a minute and even when Maddison did manage to drift off, she was woken up not even an hour later to the sounds of thumping and moaning in the room besides hers.

She spent most of the time lying in bed, just thinking. Something she'd been doing a lot of these past few days. Madds wasn't sure what she was setting herself up for. Her mother and Gemma obviously hadn't been on speaking terms at all over the last twenty-four years, who knew if they were fine before that. She would be showing up out of nowhere, telling Gemma that she had a letter that her recently deceased (and very estranged) sister had written to her but never got to send out. She couldn't even being to play out possible scenarios in her mind.

She stayed in bed just before noon, in which she finally convinced herself to get up and get dressed. She pulled on a pair of old one-eyed jeans and a black wife beater while throwing on a dusty pair of cowboy boots. She then grabbed her wallet and the letter began her journey.

Two hours later found her lost in the town.

**xxx**

Charming was a small town, and she assumed that it wouldn't be too hard to find the street. Well, she had been wrong. Somehow she ended up on the main drag twice. The first time she tried to retrace her steps, and on the second time, she didn't even bother. Instead, she parked her ass down on a bench and studied the envelope. Maybe asking around was a good idea. Someone had to know Gemma. The letter soon lay forgotten on her lap as she buried her head in her hands. It was hot, she was tired and hungry, and her level of frustration was climbing by the minute. Maddison was considering heading back to the motel in defeat when a man's voice caught her attention.

"Excuse me, Miss?"

At first she didn't look up since she wasn't the only woman in the area. The man, however, repeated the question, but this time he was closer. Maddison suppressed a groan and sat up, shielding the sun from her eyes. It took her a minute to focus, but when she did, she saw a man wearing a cop's uniform approaching her. He looked older, worn out, like he'd been on the job for longer than she'd been alive.

"Ma'am, are you alright?" He asked her again as he stepped onto the sidewalk. There was an air of concern in his voice, but he seemed friendly. He didn't exactly scream as an authority figure to her.

Maddison slowly nodded her head, brushing a lock of hair away from her eyes.

"I'm fine…" she let out a low sigh. "Just a little lost."

The man's features changed then as a small but reassuring smile came about his face.

"New in Charming, aren't you?" Maddison nodded again. "Well, where are you heading? I can point you in the right direction." She hesitated for a moment, and then she handed him the letter. He took it and she swore as soon as he laid his eyes on it, his expression faltered slightly. "You're looking for Gemma Teller?"

"I think that's the right address, but I keep getting lost." She left the part of asking the locals for help out. "Do you know her?"

He smiled again, but this one seemed more tired than anything. "You could say we're old friends." He looked back down at the envelope briefly before handing it back to Maddison. "If you don't mind me asking…Why are you looking for Gemma?"

Maddison averted her gaze quickly. What was she supposed to say? That Gemma was her aunt? "I've got to give this to her." She waved the envelope.

"I could take you to her house but she won't be there now. She's at the garage." He looked over to the cruiser parked across the street, then back to Maddison. "I could drop you off, if you'd like?"

Normally she wouldn't take rides from strangers, but he seemed nice. He was also a cop. Or Chief, according to his badge. He said that he knew Gemma, and he was offering to take her to the garage – was it where Gemma worked?

"That would be great. Thank you so much. I kind of want to get this over with. " She said after a moment while pushing herself off of the bench. She felt awkward, just slightly. "I'm Maddison by the way." She offered him her hand, which he took and gave a brief shake.

"Chief Unser. If you'll follow me." He nodded towards his car before heading back across the road with Maddison in tow. She paused for minute, hand going to the back passenger's door but just as she opened it Unser came around and opened the other door. "You can ride up front. Unless you'd rather be back there." Ride around town in the back of a squad car? Yeah, that would be a great first impression. She took what was offered to her. Once they were both strapped in the car pulled away from the curb.

**xxx**

The ride was quiet for the most part.

Cheif Unser asked her how long she'd been in Charming and he looked just a little surprised when she told him that she'd only arrived last night. He also asked where she was from to which she had chosen to answer truthfully.

She had been born in Arizona and it had been her stop before coming to Charming. Thankfully he didn't get too personal with her. He could have, being the Chief of police and all since he had to know everyone in this town. It was the middle of nowhere mentality, something she'd been around most of her life.

Someone new comes along, looking for your friends? It got a person curious.

She took in the lack-luster scenery as it passed by. They drove through a couple of residential areas, a school, a hospital, as well as a small handful of shops before the Chief pulled off the main road. There were a couple of ragged looking buildings, and then there was what looked like an empty space. A lot of some type. The cruiser rolled through the open gates and pulled to a stop across from a long line of Harley's.

"Welcome to Teller-Morrow Automotive," he said with a faint chuckle. "Gemma's probably in the office by now." With that he pushed open his door and stepped out with Maddison who quickly followed suit.

She hovered by the cruiser for a moment as she scanned the lot.

The bikes had definitely grabbed her attention, as did the ring and what looked like the entrance to the main building. There was a large sign; at least it looked like a sign, by the door.

It was black with the white outline of a reaper, and a few symbols that she couldn't make out. It clicked almost instantly.

Was this a MC clubhouse?

There were people walking around and garage bays open, mechanics banging away. Maddison tensed up slightly. The last time she'd been near a club, she'd lost one of the few people she'd trusted, and she'd almost lost her own life as well. A clubhouse was either the safest or most dangerous place you could be, depending on the day.

Unser waved at her to follow and she quickly headed to his side as they rounded the corner. She couldn't help but notice that the guys wearing uniforms had stopped their work and stole a few glances as she followed the Chief to what she assumed was the main office. Was it her or was it the fact that the Chief was on the property? Clubs generally had some sort of issue with law enforcement—and for good reasons.

They stopped at the open doorway. He leaned in and gave a brief knock, then stepped into the office. Maddison hovered outside, still taking in the garage and the odd person who entered her line of sight.

"Hey, Gemma. You got a minute? There's a young woman looking for you." She overheard, and took that as her cue to make an appearance. One hand went to her back pocket where she'd stowed the envelope, yanking it out. The chief was standing beside a desk which took a decent chunk of the small space. Behind the desk was a woman with dark brown hair that had lighter streaks. Well, she kind of looked familiar.

"What can I help you with, doll?"

Maddison didn't realize she'd been staring until Gemma spoke up. She instantly pulled herself together.

"My name's Maddison. Maddison Madock." There was a change in Gemma's expression. It went from welcoming to cooler, more alert. She hesitated, but as the woman's eyes bore into her she figured it would be a bad time to calm up. "I have a letter for you…from your sister."

She could have sworn that the temperature in the room dropped a few degrees almost as soon as she stopped talking. Unser looked surprised, and Gemma's expression was now completely unreadable.

"I'm gonna give you ladies some privacy." The chief said as he quickly left the office. Maddison wished he would have stayed. But just like that, she was alone with Gemma.

The envelope was placed on the desk in front of Gemma, waiting for her to make the next move. "You're Karen's kid? What the hell are you doing in Charming?" Gemma cocked an eyebrow at her.

Was there anyway to put it delicately? No, not that she could come up with.

Gemma didn't really seem like the type who enjoyed people who put things delicately. There was something about her, ruggedness of some kind. She saw a lot of her grandmother in Gemma.

"She died. A few weeks ago, I found the letter with all of her legal stuff. I think she meant to send it, just never got the chance." Gemma picked up the envelope and studied the outside for a minute, and then she opened it. She pulled papers out and set them back down on the desk, adjusting her glasses.

The news didn't seem to faze her. Or it had, but Gemma had a brilliant poker face. There was no sadness in her eyes or voice. Maddison couldn't fault her. In all honesty, she reacted almost the same when the elderly woman had given her the news. Of course she had been shocked, but it hadn't exactly shown. The last conversation that she'd had with her mother ended up with her getting her ass kicked out of the house. Everything between the two of them had been a bitter battle of wills. Once she left town, she stayed gone and was convinced that her mother wouldn't care either way. Who knew if she ever did? Over the years, Maddison had grown fairly indifferent and before the shooting, her mother had only crossed her mind a handful of times.

"How'd she die?" Gemma looked up at her over her glasses, tone unchanging.

Maddison shifted on the spot, weight changing from foot to foot. "Heart attack." The jaded teenager in her wanted to shout that it was somehow karma, but that seemed wildly inappropriate.

A silence came over the two. Gemma had stopped looking at the letters and had since focused her attention on Maddison. It made her feel pretty damn uneasy. To her, it looked like Gemma was sizing her up. At that moment she wished that she possessed the ability to read minds, if only to be able to tell whether she was about to be tossed out on her ass or not.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the woman spoke again. "You came all this way to give me this?" Maddison understood immediately. Rather, she thought she did.

Gemma must have figured she was there for another reason. Expecting something else, the letter was just a convenient excuse. "Look, Mrs. T-"

Gemma let out a quick laugh. "It's Gemma."

Maddison started again. "Gemma, I'm just here to give you that. I thought you should have it. I figure she would have sent it…" The brunette nervously ran her fingers back through her hair. "I'm not looking for handouts or anything." The look that Gemma gave her silently asked 'really' and Maddison nodded.

She didn't come to Charming with the idea of some sort of family reunion in her mind. She hadn't expected Gemma to be overjoyed that her niece had showed up out of nowhere. No expectations, no disappointment. Anyways, shit like that only happened in the movies. Charming was just a stop before she moved onto other things. She wasn't sure what those other things were just yet, but all she needed was a map of the bus route and she could figure it out. After all, she had done it before.

"Now that you uh-know, guess my part's done." Maddison motioned awkwardly towards the door as Gemma rose from her seat. She hadn't given much thought to what happened after she handed Gemma the letter, aside from getting the hell out of dodge. "It was nice seeing you." The words came out in a rush and she instantly regretted them. It was nice seeing you? It took everything she had to keep her cheeks from turning a very telling shade of red.

The idiotic remark made Gemma crack a small grin for the first time since Maddison entered the office.

At Madd's own expense, of course. "That all then?"

"Yeah, that's it." Suddenly she couldn't get out of there fast enough. No more questions, no touchy-feely crap. She'd done what she'd come to Charming to do, and that was it. Maddison cast Gemma an awkward smile before turning towards the door.

The chief was still out there waiting. He was talking to two men, both sporting mechanic shirts. One was shorter, and younger. He had the weirdest damn haircut she'd ever seen. A Mohawk with some sort of tribal design on the side that she could see, and there was probably another on the other side.

Beside him was an older, taller man. He had shorter, curly hair. Both men were talking to Unser that was until Maddison got closer.

The one with the Mohawk stopped mid sentence and the other man pulled his sunglasses down, like he was trying to get a better look. Maddison caught a quick glimpse before he pushed them back up on his face. He had a set of wicked eyes. She'd never seen eyes like that on a person before. At least, not if contacts weren't involve.

Before either could speak, Chief Unser turned back to her. "You all finished here?"

Maddison glanced over her shoulder. Gemma was standing in the doorway to the office, arms crossed over her chest. Suddenly, she felt like a dying animal being surrounded by vultures. Gemma hadn't been unpleasant, but there was something about her that just screamed she was not to be messed with.

She concluded that it was a Madock thing. Her mother and her grandmother were the exact same way. Given the chance and the reason, they'd chew you up and spit you out in a heartbeat.

She idly rubbed her arm, looking down at the ground. "Yeah, I think so." She'd done her job at least.

"I'll give you a ride back then." It didn't feel like there was room to argue. Not that she would have anyways. It was too damn hot out for her to try and find her way back to the motel.

"Fellas." He gave the men a curt nod before turning in Gemma's direction. "Gemma, it's always good to see you."

The woman didn't give much in the way of a response. With that, the Chief led her away.

She could feel three sets of eyes boring into the back of her skull as she walked away. So that was it, she was done. The pair walked past the bikes again, and the odd worker.

"Where we headed?" The chief asked as they entered the cruiser.

"Um…the motel by the bus station," Maddison mumbled as she buckled herself in.

**xxx**

Gemma joined Tig and Juice in the garage bay as the three of them watched Maddison and Unser walk away.

"Everything cool?" Tig asked with mild concern flickering in and out of his tone.

"Yeah," Juice chimed in. "Who was that?"

Gemma waved them off. "Nothing you gotta concern yourselves with."

In truth, it wasn't. Of course they probably cared less about the reason why the woman had showed up at Teller-Morrow anyways. Both men were enjoying the view, right up until the car doors shut and Unser rolled off the lot.

She switched gears before either decided to play twenty questions with her. "Dinner tomorrow, planning on making an appearance?"

Tig wore a look of mock hurt when Gemma asked and Juice had to bite his tongue to keep from chuckling. "Five minutes late last time, Gem. Five minutes."

"Five minutes?" The queen laughed, "Felt like half an hour to me.I don't wanna hear any bitching if the food's gone by the time you get there. Especially if you're putting pussy before family time."

She, of course, was referring to a more recent incident.

Tig had partied a little too hard the night before, slept through the whole damn day at the dorms. The guys had let him, of course. It was his reward for another run well done. And if Tig wasn't there, that meant more food for them. He'd gotten there little under an hour after everybody sat down. Bitched for the rest of the night about how he hadn't gotten any food. So it was the first time Tigger had ever been late for a meal, but Gemma could still screw with him.

"Don't you two have work to do?" The men dispersed with Tig muttering all the way.

Once they went back to work on the car, Gemma went back to the office. She settled back behind the desk, slowly picking up one of the pages. She'd only just skimmed the first few lines – to make sure that the girl wasn't bullshitting. After a few lines she decided that it was definitely from Karen, but she wasn't going to read the damn thing there. She was more interested in the woman who had shown up at her office – chief's escort and all.

Maddison Madock, that crazy bitch's daughter.

She'd seen Maddison once in passing. That was ages ago. It had been made clear to her that Karen wanted jack to do with her so Gemma hadn't bothered. Life was better for everyone that way. She felt nothing but a cool indifference towards her sister, who had only been a year or two younger. News of her biting it wasn't exactly…shocking. She wasn't gonna go home and drink her sorrows away or cry herself to sleep.

She'd expected Maddison to ask for something. Money or even a place to stay, but she hadn't asked for anything. She came out here to deliver a letter, and Gemma found herself believing her. There was no scam in her eyes; she was being far too awkward to be making any of it up. A blind man would have been able to tell.

Gemma let out a small sigh as she adjusted her glasses. She'd caught up on the day's paperwork and it was a slow day on the lot. If Maddison had come all this way just to give the letter to her, the least she could do was read it.

So that was what she did.

**xxx**

"So you're family?" He must have spent a few minutes deciding whether or not it was okay to ask.

Maddison didn't look at him.

She only shrugged. "Technically, I guess we are. " Maddison shut her eyes and let her head press back against the seat. "I don't think blood counts for much though." She added quietly.

Beside her, Unser tossed her a questioning look. Which she caught when she cracked an eyelid open. Her mother had been 'blood' and for awhile there, she definitely hadn't considered the woman family. Family was there for you. She'd found a family in Richard and Koraline, and some of the MC members. Her mother had kicked her out; she'd made it clear that it was her way or the highway. She was never really there for her, not really. Though unlike her mother, she didn't harbour any ill will towards Gemma. She didn't know the woman – how could she?

It wasn't something that she really wanted to go in depth on. Not with someone she really didn't know. The chief seemed to understand. At least he didn't ask her to further explain herself.

After another few minutes of silence, he spoke up again. "Will you be staying in Charming long?" Now that question was one she didn't feel strange about answering.

"I wasn't planning on it." Maddison replied. "Gotta look at a bus schedule; figure out where the road's going to take me next."

She'd probably be around for another day, tops. Not that the rest of the world was going anywhere. She had made no plans to stay in Charming. There was a life somewhere out there for her. She had found one once after all, she could do it again. She could bartend and she was legal. There was always some place that was looking for someone who could put up with a little abuse for the customers. She thought about hitting Los Angeles. Look around for a bartending gig, save up for an apartment. Maybe flash her portfolio around a few tattoo parlors.

The inquiry stopped there. Maybe the chief had sensed that she didn't have much else to say. Either way, the rest of the ride was quiet. Once they reached the motel Maddison quickly thanked him, a couple of times. She did appreciate the kindness. He didn't have to go out of his way to give her a lift, but he had.

She waited in the parking lot as he rolled away. Waving for a moment before turning back and heading to her hotel room. The first thing that she did once she was behind that closed door was rummage around through the pamphlets that she'd left on the nightstand. A few for local attractions, restaurants, a map of the states, and one bus schedule.

So part of her was feeling a little bit antsy. It had always taken her awhile to settle down. Before she'd ended up settling in New Mexico, where she'd met Richard, she'd spent time in at least four different towns. A job and a place to live weren't the only things that Maddison kept in mind. She needed to feel like she fit. Like somehow, she was in the right place at the right time. Some people would have probably called her nuts for thinking that she could decide something like that in a few days – but so far it had worked out well for her.

Shacking up in Charming wasn't going to happen for a few reasons. One of which was Gemma's presence. She was sure that if she decided to stay, it could rub the woman the wrong way. She had told her that she wasn't here for anything else – hadn't she?

Maddison settled down on the bed, opening up the bus schedule and setting the glossy paper on top of her lap. Somewhere, hidden amongst the times and the names, her new life was waiting for her to find it.

She was sure of it.

**xxx**

_Later that night_

She'd stayed at Teller-Morrow after closing for a few hours. The men had church and she had an inventory to take. Once that let out, the usual mayhem ensued. Like almost every other night the clubhouse was quickly filled with sweet-butts and crow-eaters, a couple of random partiers from off the streets. Gemma could hold her own with the rest if she wanted too, but that was the thing—she didn't want to. There was something to be said for a quiet house after a long days work.

It hadn't been any old day. No, this one had just been full of surprises. When she'd woken up this morning she sure as hell hadn't guessed that ghosts from her past would come knocking on her door.

Gemma had spent the rest of the day thinking about that girl. She could see hints of Karen in her. When she and Karen had been kids, she'd had the exact same sort of awkwardness. Of course it went out the window when puberty hit. Not many people knew about the estranged family. She'd done a damn fine job of severing all ties, it was the way she preferred it. Never in a million years would she have expected to see any of them again.

The letter had been read once at the shop and Gemma had no idea what to make of it. At times she doubted that it was even Karen's writing at all, but when she did, that was when she came across a line or a paragraph that could only come from Rose, or someone directly related to her. Someone like Karen. She had read it once and then tried to put it out of her mind.

Which was exactly why now, she was lying in bed, reading glasses on and eyes skimming the pages.

Suddenly, she knew everything about the young woman who had walked into the office. Almost everything, instead she had a vague outline.

She knew that Maddison had never gotten along with her mother; she knew that her daddy wasn't in the picture. Gemma knew that Maddison wanted to be an artist, but Karen, true to nature, wanted a lawyer or some hot shot doctor. She also knew that after one particularly brutal fight, Maddison had seemingly fallen off the face of the earth. Karen claimed to have looked for the kid – but something told her that she hadn't looked too hard. If a mother wanted to find her child she'd turn over every fucking rock until she found them. She would have done that for Thomas, she would still do it for Jax. More proof that the bitch of a sister really had inherited the crazy.

Part of her felt for the kid. She could relate more than she'd care to admit.

Growing up with Karen must have been five different types of hell. It was funny actually, the woman she'd seen didn't look like some diseased harlot. Maddison didn't look like she had a couple babies and some pissed off sugar daddies. She'd looked tired, but she didn't look like a druggie. Gemma had been around the type long enough to be able to spot them at first glance. She didn't look like anything that Karen had feared.

Well, except for the tattoos.

"What are you doing up?" Clay's voice made her look up from the pages.

Her old man lumbered over to the bed, allowing himself to drop against the mattress fully clothed. He smelt like weed and whiskey. Oddly comforting.

"Little light reading. Good night?" He only groaned in response, slowly flipping himself over onto his back. The party was still probably rolling along, but like her – sometimes Clay found the quiet house nice.

Gemma went back to reading, working on the second page. Clay would probably get up and undress, then pass out. He didn't seem like he wanted to get frisky tonight, which was fine by her.

"Heard about your visitor today," Gemma looked down at him, eyebrow cocked. "Juice wouldn't shut the hell up about her. Think he's in love." She couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"Nah, just his dick talking."

They both cracked a smile at that.

As she predicted, Clay did force himself out of bed. Didn't mention her 'visitor' again, didn't ask any questions. He just peeled off his clothes and settled back down beside her.

"Hey, babe? Think we got room for one more tomorrow?" Normally, Gemma wouldn't ask.

Dinners were her time to shine. The men had learned to stay the hell out of her way pretty damn quickly. Clay might have ruled everywhere else, but the kitchen? It was her domain.

Clay grunted. "You're always saying we do."

He was right. While she tried to keep dinner a family affair, she'd been known to let the odd sweet-butt slide in. As long as they were on their best behavior, it was always a full house.

Gemma didn't explain why she asked and Clay probably didn't care. She carefully took off her glasses and gathered the stray papers back together. She set everything on the nightstand.

She needed some sleep. Today was a long day, and she had a feeling that tomorrow was only going to be longer.


End file.
